Three Government bills passed their second readings in Parliament on Tuesday.
The first, a bill intended to tighten eligibility for legal aid, narrows the merits test for granting legal aid in civil matters.
The bill would stop legal aid for anyone who is not paying their legal aid debt and introduce interest on legal aid debts after six months.
It also brings in a user charge $50 for civil and family cases
The Justice Minister, Judith Collins, says the bill targets legal aid where it is needed, while encouraging more people to resolve minor family and civil matters out of court.
The leglisation was passed by 61 votes to 60, with support from National, ACT and United Future.
It was followed by the Immigration Amendment Bill that seeks to detain any incoming group of more than 11 people under a group warrant, rather than them being dealt with individually.
The legislation was passed by 71 votes to 50 with the the Labour, Mana and Green Parties opposing it.
And legislation that would legalise the collection of hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees from plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers to prosecute unlicensed "cowboys" was the third bill to pass its second reading.
